1824     THE BURMESE WAR     425

disembarkation, and to whose readiness in affording me every assistance his ship could supply, the service was importantly indebted ; and the exertions of his seamen, under the immediate command of Lieutenant Matthews, in getting the guns landed, and assisting in the battery, contributed essentially to accelerate the result." In the capture of the island of Cheduba, the naval department sustained a loss of one marine killed, and the first lieutenant of the Slaney (Henry Bathurst Matthews) and four seamen wounded.

The rainy season had now set in, and that fearful malady, the cholera morbus, began to thin the ranks, and weaken the crews of the invading force. The enemy, as if aware that the climate was their best friend, and that the unremitting exertions of the English force, the constant exposure to the weather, the change of diet, and other circumstances would retard any advance, withdrew their forces to Donoobew, a town on the Irrawaddi, fortified strongly, and situated 20 leagues in a northerly direction from Rangoon.

With the exception of two fire-rafts destroyed by Mr. Henry L1ster Maw, the naval aide-de-camp of Sir Archibald Campbell, and who had been left by Commodore Grant to fill that post, both the invaders and invaded remained without any offensive operations between the 10th of June and the 1st of July. On this last-named date, the Burmese forces were observed in motion ; and, taking up a position so well covered by the jungles and thickets, as to render doubtful their numerical strength, they occupied the left of the British lines, drawing up in front of the Kemmendine stockade. After a brisk affair, the Burman forces took refuge in the jungle, leaving 100 dead on the field. In this affair, the naval forces were not idle. The enemy meditated an attack by fire-vessels at the same time, but the zeal and activity of Mr. Lindgu1st, who commanded the boats stationed off Kemmendine, rendered that manoeuvre abortive, and in counteracting the plan of the enemy, evinced great courage, coolness and ability.

On the 8th of July Sir Archibald Campbell embarked 800 men in order to gain possession of a point of land above Kemmendine, from which the enemy launched their fire-rafts. For the result of this expedition, and for the handsome manner in which Sir Archibald Campbell mentions the exertions of the navy, particularly as relates to Captain Marryat (who, although unable from severe indisposition to participate in the action, yet lent his powerful talent in arranging the plan of attack) we refer our readers to Sir Archibald's despatch, in the appendix to the Burmese War, No. 2. It will be seen that the commander-in-chief refers to the forces under Brigadier-general Macbean, who had been detached on the 8th of July with 1500 men to Kummeroot, a stockaded position about five miles from the Shwe-da-gon pagoda, which stands about two miles and a half distant from

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